On patrol with FAA 62... Hess, Boelcke, Immelmann, and myself, Bruno Stadler.
We are the top predators of the skies... It is the time of the 'Fokker Scourge'. We fly Eindeckers, EI's with Parabellum machine guns, and EII's with the German army 08 MG's.
Ernst Hess leads in an EII... we are climbing, chasing three Morane Parasol two seaters... The English gentlemen are hoping to get to their aerodrome.
As I approach the Englishmen, I am supremely confident in my new EI that I will be victorious, and begin my dive just over the drome at BailleulAsylum.
VERDAMMT!... I fire two bursts at the enemy machine, but in my over confidence I am overshooting the target!
I also fail to notice that my comrade, Boelcke, is closing in...
As I look at my foe I suddenly hear TACK,TACK,TACK,TACK from behind.
Boelcke swoops past and another burst of his gun sets the enemy machine on fire!
I watch in fascination and horror at the doomed machine as the fire takes hold...
I turn my machine away, glancing back as the Morane plunges earthwards... The enemy flak has woken up and starts to fire at us, but it is too late for their pilots.
Suddenly, a loud BANG!... my new EI is peppered by shrapnel, my engine stops, and I have to put it down quickly. I glide towards my lines, but already I know I will land on the enemy's side...
I shudder to a stop... all is well thank god. I can hear the Tommies shouting at me...
Captured!... The English flyers were good hosts, not hostile to me, even after two of their number had been killed by Boelcke an hour earlier.
They were however lacking in security measures, and that night I managed to escape!
Fifteen days later I am back at FAA 62... my comrades could not believe I had survived, captured and escaped, and even managed to cross the lines without being shot!
